RENTAL CAR INSURANCE POLICY SUMMARIES

In Part 1 and Part 2 of Urban Thier & Federer’s series on Rental Car Insurance in the U.S.A., we explained various products offered by rental car companies and what each type of insurance provides. In the next three articles, we will expound upon some of that initial information by providing summaries of the types of coverage offered by specific rental companies.

Fox Rent A Car’s Collision Damage Waiver is not insurance, and it is called a Loss Damage Waiver. It provides coverage which eliminates a renter from financial responsibility if the rented vehicle is involved in an accident.

Fox Rent A Car’s Supplemental Liability Insurance is split into two separate products. The first product is Rental Liability Coverage. This is a primary insurance policy which covers you for third party claims made against you for bodily injury or property damage. The coverage only applies up to the liability coverage limits set by the state in which the rental vehicle is licensed. Fox Rent A Car’s Supplemental Liability Insurance is a secondary coverage that picks up where a US state’s required liability leaves off. When combined with primary liability insurance, Supplemental Liability Insurance provides the renter with up to $1,000,000 of liability protection for third party claims of bodily injury or property damage.

Fox Rent A Car sells Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Effects Coverage and the two are packaged together. The Personal Accident Insurance policy covers the renter and each passenger against accidental death and accidental medical expenses. The Personal Effects Coverage policy insures against theft or damage of personal belongings during the time of the rental. This coverage also extends to immediate family members of the renter who permanently reside in the renter’s household and are traveling with the renter. For information about the limits associated with each of these policies, please check with your rental agent.

Hertz’s Collision Damage Waiver is not insurance and is known as a Loss Damage Waiver. It simply provides coverage which eliminates a renter from financial responsibility if the rented vehicle is involved in an accident or stolen. It also is offered in three different levels of protection. The Partial Damage Waiver covers you for damage that occurs to the car in an amount equal to the applicable deductible on your personal car insurance, up to $1,000. The next level of protection is the Limited Loss Damage Waiver which eliminates a renter’s financial responsibility for damage to the rental vehicle, regardless of the renter’s personal automobile insurance, up to $1,000. The final level of Waiver protection is the Loss Damage Waiver which eliminates a renter’s financial responsibility for damage that occurs to the rental vehicle regardless of the value of the damage.

Hertz’s Supplemental Liability Insurance is referred to as a Liability Insurance Supplement. When combined with primary liability insurance, the Liability Insurance Supplement provides the renter with up to $1,000,000 of liability protection for third party claims of bodily injury or property damage. This additional liability protection includes Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage up to $1,000,000.

Hertz sells Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Effects Coverage and the two are packaged together. The Personal Accident Insurance policy covers the renter and each passenger against accidental death, accidental medical expenses, and ambulance expenses. This insurance type covers the renter for any accidental injuries that occur during the rental period, regardless of if they are in the car at the time of injury. This policy covers the renter for $175,000 and each passenger for $17,500 in accidental death benefits. Renters and each passenger are also covered for $2,500 in accidental medical expenses and $250 in ambulance expenses. The total benefits for any single accident are $225,000. The Personal Effects Coverage policy insures against theft or damage of personal belongings during the time of the rental. This policy covers each person traveling with the renter for up to $600, but the limit for all claims during the rental period is $1,800. This policy only covers travelers who are family members of the renter.

National’s Collision Damage Waiver is referred to as a Loss Damage Waiver. The Loss Damage Waiver is not insurance, but it provides coverage which reduces the financial responsibility of the renter if the rented vehicle is involved in an accident or stolen. The Loss Damage Waiver is also available as the Loss Damage Waiver 3000 which provides the same service, but only covers the renter for the first $3,000 of damage or loss to the rental vehicle.

National’s Supplemental Liability Insurance, when combined with primary liability insurance provides the renter with up to $1,000,000 of liability protection for third party claims of bodily injury or property damage. This additional liability protection includes Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage up to $100,000.

National’s Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Effects Coverage are sold together. The Personal Accident Insurance policy covers the renter and each passenger against accidental death, accidental medical expenses, and ambulance expenses. The Personal Effects Coverage policy insures against theft or damage of personal belongings during the time of the rental. For information about the limits associated with each of these policies, please check with your rental agent.

Thrifty’s Collision Damage Waiver is not insurance and is known as a Loss Damage Waiver. It simply provides coverage which eliminates a renter from financial responsibility if the rented vehicle is involved in an accident or stolen.

Thrifty’s Supplemental Liability Insurance is referred to as a Liability Insurance Supplement. When combined with primary liability insurance, the Liability Insurance Supplement provides the renter with up to $1,000,000 of liability protection for third party claims of bodily injury or property damage. This additional liability protection includes Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage up to $1,000,000 should you be injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver.

Thrifty offers Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Effects Coverage and the two are packaged together. The Personal Accident Insurance policy covers the renter and each passenger against accidental death, accidental medical expenses, and ambulance expenses. This insurance type covers the renter for any accidental injuries that occur during the rental period, regardless of if they are in the car at the time of injury. The Personal Effects Coverage policy insures against theft or damage of personal belongings during the time of the rental. For information about the limits associated with each of these policies, please check with your rental agent.

Thrifty also offers Emergency Sickness Protection. This plan covers international renters for medical expenses they may incur as a result of falling ill and needing medical care during their rental period. Benefits include up to $10,000 per person for necessary medical care for conditions that have not been diagnosed or treated for in the twelve-month period prior to the rental period. Additionally, the rental period cannot be longer than thirty days.

We at Urban Thier & Federer hope that the information provided above has been helpful in clearing up any confusion surrounding rental car insurance. If you still have concerns about what you might or might not be covered for before you rent a vehicle for your US trip, please check your insurance policies or call your provider to ask them directly, and also see Part 1 of this series regarding general questions about the need for rental car insurance. For further information about other rental car companies, please see Part 4 and Part 5.

If you have been in an accident while in a rental vehicle, please contact us for details on how Urban Thier & Federer can help you.

* This article and this website are for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. This information provided should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. You should always consult a suitably qualified attorney regarding any specific legal problem or matter and not rely on the content of this article. Nothing on this site is intended to create an attorney-client relationship and nothing posted constitutes legal advice. We cannot guarantee that the information is accurate, complete or up to date.